STAMFORD — A Stamford man wanted for not appearing for court dates in Stamford and Norwalk was picked up at a friend’s home on Stamford’s West Side Tuesday afternoon by the Narcotics and Organized Crime squad and held in lieu of a $600,000 court-appearance bond.

Capt. Richard Conklin said John Spencer, 24, of Connecticut Avenue, was wanted on a violation of probation and skipping court dates for four of his criminal cases in Stamford and Norwalk. NOC officers heard that he was staying at an address on Chestnut Street and set up surveillance of the neighborhood.

On Tuesday afternoon, they spotted Spencer going into a home carrying a bag of groceries. NOC squad officers and officers from the patrol and K-9 unit surrounded the house. Working with residents of the home, police determined Spencer was inside and began negotiating with him to come out.

Conklin said officers made it clear to him that they would get a search warrant and enter the home to find him if he did not give up. Spencer turned himself over to police and was taken into custody without incident.

The cases involve lower-level charges of assault, criminal mischief, reckless driving, harassment, leaving the scene of an accident, burglary and risk of injury to a child.

“It was a nice job by NOC getting this intel about where Spencer was located and quickly getting him out of the house,” Conklin said.